TROTTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16943, 31 August 1918, Page 9

TROTTING.

NOTES BY PICADOR. - The president of the New Zeiland Trotting Conference seldom misses an opportunity to point out that it is necessary for sportsmen to keep alive to the fact that there is a small section of the populace who would, if possible, deny us the privilege of racing and other amusements if they governed the country. Hence it was not surprising to note that Mr. J. Rows, as chairman to the Auckland Trotting Club, spoke in very plain terras on the subject at the annual meeting of club members on Wednesday last. The main object of Mr. Howe's remarks was, no doubt, I to point out the necessity of sportsmen keeping in touch with each other to such an extent that if ever racing did happen to be threatened with further curtailment, a sound defence could be put fclrward in favour of continuation. It would certainly .be well for all sportsmen to realise that I unity is strength, and though we have numerous sporting bodies in existence, any | effort at curtailment in the past has usually been acceded to without any real effort of protest. The average sportsman is an easygoing individual, and, no doubt, there is | something in Mr. Howe's note of warning I not to allow the bigoted opponent of sport to have matters all his own way. It would surprise those not directly concerned with a knowledge of racing to learn of the enormous amount of money that is kept in constant circulation by racing, and a large percentage of this money probably finds its way indirectly into the money-bags of those who are not adherents of racing However, all classes of . business benefit to some extent from the J earnings of those connected with the sport. I A mistaken, idea is prevalent amongst op- , pononts of ' racing that the profits derived from the running of race meetings go into individual pockets. This is not so. What is not reaped as direct taxation goes towards finding wages, salaries, and stakes to be distributed. Every penny must be expended legitimately to the satisfaction of the country's laws. The most conspicuous decrease in tho matter of revenue to the New Zealand Trotting Association last season as compared with the previous year was that of cash received iby way of fines. In the 1916-17, £240 13s ' was received from this source, while last ' season £97 IBs was the sum total, Tho balance-sheet presented at the annual meeting of the. association showed the disburse.

ments during the year to be £2312 Bs, and the revenue (including credit balance of £160 Os lid, brought forward from the previous year), £2129 12s 4d, leaving a debit balance of £122 10s Bd. Tho price paid, for Antonio by Mr. A. W. Jones, of Pirongia, was 95gns, while 30gns was the purchase prico of the two-year-old son of Logan Pointer- A sum of 9gns only is mentioned as the price paid by W. Orange for the three-year-old geldini by Van Coronado from Tracey Jane. This gelding had classic engagements offered as an inducement to purchasers. No New Zealand horses appear amongst the entries for the Richmond Thousand Trot to be decided in Victoria on November 4. Thirty-nine nominations have been received, including J.G., who won the Tasmanian TroHing Cup at Hobart and the Easter Cup at Launceston. He is said to be a likely visitor to Now Zealand later on. In the 1914-15 season 522 horses were registered for trotting meetings in the Dominion, while last season the number had fallen to 325. The number of licenses issued for the same periods were 2397 and 1677 respectively. The health of Mr. F. Tonge of late has been far from satisfactory and did not allow of his attendance at the annual meeting of the Otahuhu Trotting Club yesterday. A motion of, sympathy was passed to the secretary and his wife by club members. Nancy Stair is spoken of as a likely visitor to Auckland for the spring meetings in October, and already it is given out by a Southern critic that she will be hard to beat in the big stake if the trip is undertaken. Our Thorpe is booked to make an attempt to reduce the Australian mile record of 2m 6 2-5s held by Adelaide Direct. It transpires that the new owner of the steeplechaser Moddite is the trotting owner, J. McDermott. Norah Crena, who won a double at Addington this month, is reported to have been purchased by H. McNoughton, the local owner. When submitted at auction recently at Chris'tchurch the Waikato-owned Strategy was passed in at lOOgns, and Brown's Nugget at 40gns. J. Bryce has secured a further twelve months' lease of the speedy Cathedral Chimes. Handicaps for the New Zealand Trotting Cup are booked to make their appearance on September 9. When Author Dillon finished fourth in the National Cup, his time for the two miles was 4m 28 2-ss. OTAHUHU TROTTING CLUB. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of members of the Otahuhu Trotting Club was held yesterday afternoon. The chairman of the committee, Mr. H. R. Mackenzie, presided, and there was an attendance of about SO members. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, congratulated the club upon what had been the most i successful season in its history, notwithstanding that racing had been curtailed from four to two days. This was largely due to the support the owners had givpn tho club. The racing had been clean and attractive and the finishes good, and he complimented the handicapper and other officials on the capable way they had carried out their duties. The meetings had been run without any driver or rider being fined at the starting post and without one false start taking place, proving that the barrier system of starting was a thorough success. During the year the club had paid in taxation, including amusement tax, £2265 13s 6d, and the stakes paid amonuted to £2125. It was the intention of the club to give £3000 in stakes during the coming year. He congratulated the Minister for Internal Affairs in appointing Government representatives to be present at all meetings and inspect the working of the totalisators, and thanked the Auckland Trotting Club for placing its up-to-date grounds at the disposal of the club at such a reasonable figure. During the year £176 lis bad been donated for patriotic purposes and £500 had been invested in, the war loan. The report was adopted unanimously. The following nominees for seats on the committee were declared duly elected:— Messrs. A. Selby, H. Lloyd, D. Leslie, R. W. Absolum, W. Patter, and J. Wilson.